http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/2....cfm?writer=31
MIA Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Dorsey is a game changer. He is a beast in the middle of the line, he plays well against the run and pass. Dorsey battled injuries all year and was still the most dominate defensive lineman in college football. Dorsey will fill a huge need for the Dolphins, who need help on the line on both sides of the ball.
STL Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Chris Long, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long, is a complete defensive end prospect. Long plays with incredible passion and never takes a play off. He does a great job against the pass, finishing the season with 14 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss in 2007. Plays like former Ram Grant Wistrom. Long can play defensive end in either 3-4 or 4-3 defense.
OAK Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
McFadden is an explosive runner who can do it all. He runs with great power and speed. He has all of the tools to turn into the next Ladanian Tomlinson. Has thrived in college without consistent play at the quarterback position. McFadden has rushed for 1,100 or yards in each of his three seasons at Arkansas
KC Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Jake Long is a beast of a man at 6'7 and 315 pounds and clearly the top offensive line prospect in the 2008 draft class. Long is an excellent run and pass blocker with great footwork and a long wingspan. He fills a need for the Rams, whose offensive line struggled a lot this year.
ATL Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky
Woodson is a player with all of the tools to become a great player in the NFL. Woodson has a lot of upside and has carried his team throughout the year. He has good speed for a quarterback, but is not seen as a dual threat. He needs to develop his on-field decision making, but is a solid playmaker.
NYJ James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
The son of a former professional wrestler, comes from great athletic roots. Laurinaitis has all of the physical tools to be successful at the pro level. He has been the heart and soul of the Ohio State defense this year. Will make an immediate impact and solidify the Jets' young, tough linebacking corps.
NE Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
Connor is the next great linebacker to come out of Linebacker U. Connor moved inside for his senior year with the Nittany Lions, but is a better fit at weakside line backer. Has good speed and is a big enough physical presence inside to play middle linebacker at the next level, but the Patriots will fit him into their system and get the most out of him.
BAL Brian Brohm, QB, Louiseville
Brohm is a prototypical pro-style pocket passing quarterback. He has good, but not great arm strength. Brohm is an incredibly accurate passer. Brohm entered the year in many people's mind as the consensus number one pick, but a disappointing year by the Louisville Cardinals has dropped him a few spots. Brohm is believed to be the most pro-ready quarterback prospect of all of the players in this draft. Brohm could step in and play immediately for the Ravens.
CIN Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
Ellis is an impressive physical specimen. He is an absolute beast and has proven to be unblockable all year. Ellis has the frame to easily add bulk without losing speed or quickness. He is slightly undersized to play the nose tackle position in the NFL, but could easily add bulk and do so. He has a great motor and plays at full speed every play. Ellis has amazing upper and lower body strength and plays with a good pad level consistently.
NO Keith Rivers, LB, USC
Rivers is the complete linebacker package. He was a top linebacking prospect entering college and has received top-notch coaching while at USC. He has good speed and is a tackling machine. Rivers is good in coverage and will have no problem covering backs out of the backfield or tight ends. Rivers projects as a weak side linebacker at the next level. Rivers plays from sideline to sideline. Rivers needs to add bulk and has the frame to do so.
BUF Desean Jackson, WR, Cal
Jackson had a disappointing season along with his California Team. Jackson is likely the fastest and quickest player in this year's draft. He is a very good receiver and runs good routes. Every time Jackson touches the ball the other team's defensive coordinator holds his breath. He is an absolutely electrifying punt returner. Jackson played hurt most of the year, which led to inconsistent statistical numbers, but he is still considered a top of the first round prospect.
DEN Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
Phillips played inconsistently this year for the Hurricanes, but is still seen as the top safety prospect in the 2008 draft. He has an amazing combination of size and speed. He has the athletic ability to play both safety positions, but will likely settle in as strong safety in the NFL. Phillips has been timed unofficially at a sub 4.5 second forty yard dash, which will make him among the league's elite coverage safeties. He also does a great job in run support. Phillips will do a great job replacing the aging John Lynch.
CAR Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Ryan really improved his draft stock this year with a great year at Boston College. Ryan is a pocket passer with good arm strength and great accuracy. He has good footwork and consistently makes good decisions in the pocket. At just under 6'5 he has good size to be able to see over the line in the NFL. Ryan is not a dual threat and has trouble when pressured in the pocket. Ryan will contribute early in Carolina and could be a first year starter.
CHI Sam Baker, T, USC
Baker is a very intelligent player, with great footwork and fundamentals. He has faced some of the best college competition in his college career, starting all four of his years at Southern California Baker lacks a bit of a mean streak, but this wont scare teams off due to his superb pass blocking and good run blocking. Baker would be a good start to opening holes for whoever is running behind the Chicago line next year.
DET Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn
Groves is a pass rushing specialist. He struggles against the run, but he is the type of edge pass rusher that NFL teams covet. Groves would struggle in an NFL defense that runs a 3-4 defensive scheme, but Detroit would be a good fit for a 4-3 defense playing on turf. He has been very productive over his career playing against top level competition. Groves was hampered by an injury during the year, but remained productive.
AZ Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Clady is a big, mean offensive tackle. He will help to solidify an improving Arizona Cardinal offensive line. Clady has been a three year starter for Boise State, which is a consistent rushing team. Clady will likely step in and start. He lacks upper body strength, but has the frame to easily add bulk and strength. He has what offensive line coach Russ Grimm looks for in lineman in his mean streak.
MIN Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
Campbell had a bit of a disappointing 2007 season. He has an excellent combination of size, speed, and strength, but has trouble getting off the double team. He is a good fit in a 4-3 defensive scheme where he will face less double teams. He will thrive on a Minnesota defensive line that has big men inside that demand a double team. Campbell can be the edge rusher that Minnesota has desperately looked for in past drafts.
HOU Johnathon Stewart, RB, Oregon
Stewart is the complete package as a runner. He is a compact runner who runs with good body lean and has the quickness to side-step tacklers. Stewart runs with good power and vision. He has good enough hands and blocks well enough in the passing game to be an every-down running back in the NFL. Stewart will solve Houston's running back problems and will be the first legitimate ground threat the organization has ever had.
PHI Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
Kelly has the size and speed combination that makes NFL teams drool. At 6'4 and runs an unofficial 4.5 second forty yard dash. Kelly has good body control for a player his size. He has good hands as well and does a good job of catching the ball with his hands. Kelly would be a good fit in Philadelphia with or without Donovan McNabb.
TB Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
Jenkins is an ideal cover corner with very good speed. He will flourish in a cover two defensive scheme. He has elite cover corner speed, and if he runs a sub 4.4 forty yard dash he may not be on the board this late. Jenkins is a ball hawk and plays well against the run. He has an impressive size and speed ratio at 6' and over 200 pounds.
WAS Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Harvey has put up impressive numbers this year to make his draft stock sky rocket, much in the same way Jarvis Moss of the Denver Broncos did last year. Harvey is an excellent pass rushing defensive end. He struggles against the run and has a tendency to get swallowed up by bigger offensive tackles with good footwork. Harvey would be an immediate upgrade for a defense which struggled to get pressure on opposing teams' quarterbacks.
DAL Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
At a staggering 6'5 and 220 pounds, Sweed is a huge playmaking wide receiver who creates an immediate mismatch with nearly every corner in the league. Sweed went out early in the 2007 season with a left wrist injury and never recovered, however the injury shouldn't will impact his NFL career. Sweed is a good route runner and consistently gets open and finds soft spots in defenses.
SEA Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
Jones has played second fiddle to Darren McFadden at Arkansas for the last three years. Some may look at this and think that he wasn't able to carry the load. What they should be thinking is that he doesn't have the miles of a running back who ran in the South Eastern Conference for three years. He has an incredible second gear and is thought to be faster than McFadden. Jones will help a Seahawks team desperate for a running back.
PIT Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Maualuga has great speed and size for a middle linebacker. He runs well and plays sideline to sideline. Maualuga is a tackling machine, and does a great job of brining his hips and finishing tackles. He does a good job as a blitzer, keeping his head up and getting to the quarterback or batting the ball down. Maualuga is a Pittsburgh type player and would be a great fit in head coach Mike Tomlin's defensive system.
TEN Early Doucet, WR, LSU
Doucet is a great college receiver. He does a great job of finding soft spots in zones and running routes. Doucet is a natural receiver and does a good job of keeping the ball from getting to his body. Doucet has great game speed and has rarely been caught from behind. Doucet would bolster a Tennessee Titans offense desperate for playmakers at the receiver position.
NYG Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
Manningham has had a great season for Michigan this year, in spite of inconsistent quarterback play. Manningham will help to keep Eli Manning consistent after Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress are gone. Has the tools to become a playmaker immediately opposite Plaxico Burress. Manningham has great speed and adequate height, but needs to add some bulk in order to hold up against NFL defenders
SD Pat Sims, DT, Auburn
Sims is a beast of a man at 315 pounds. He is a defensive tackle who runs a 4.8 forty yard dash. Sims doesn't have a large body of work as he started only one season for Auburn, but he had a great year against what many believe to be the toughest conference in the country (SEC) with 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Sims has all of the tools to be a dominant force in the NFL, and would make the Chargers' defense even more dominant.
JAX Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
Gholston is a great defensive end prospect and will help the Jaguars' aging defensive front as he's a good fit for their 4-3 defensive scheme. Gholston has great speed off the edge and will be coveted by many NFL teams picking late in the first round. Gholston had a great game against the number one tackle in the draft, Jake Long, and will likely contribute immediately.
GB Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
Talib was the defensive leader on the surprise team of the year for the Kansas Jayhawks. Talib was a preseason all American and would immediately help the Packers defensive backfield. He is a very smart player that uses his 4.4 forty yard dash speed to the best of his abilities. Talib's strengths are in coverage and struggles in press coverage against more physical receivers due to his lack of bulk.
SF Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
Jenkins is an ideal cover corner with very good speed. He had a great year on a South Florida, which came from no where led by its defense. Jenkins has great size (at 200 pounds) and speed (running a 4.4 forty yard dash). Jenkins does very well in run support and has no problem coming up and hitting running backs and knocking them backwards. He played well against the high level opponents South Florida played in 2007.
DAL Jeffrey Otah, T, Pittsburg
Otah is a beast of a man at 6'6 and 340 pounds. He is surprisingly agile for his size. As one might expect, Otah is a good pass blocker and excels in the running game. Otah needs to improve his footwork a little bit, but will likely do so with NFL coaching. Otah will give the Cowboys tremendous value with the pick and will help an aging offensive line.
NE forfeited
2008 NFL Mock Draft
2008 NFL Mock Draft
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